2005

The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.0777 Sunday, 24 April 2005
From: Marcus Dahl <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 22 Apr 2005 16:03:15 -0000 (GMT)
Subject: 16.0768 The Use of Rolls?
Comment: Re: SHK 16.0768 The Use of Rolls?
Dear All,
Further reflections:
(1) I didn't say that Q lines are not in Alleyn's Part, I said they were
not REPEATED in Alleyn's Part.
(2) I still hold that 'Clora' is clearly wrong. It is obviously meant to
be Flora.
(3) The next time you want to wash your cheeks (assuming Greg's reading)
try have a drink at the same time. Unless your mouth is in your cheek
(and not your tongue) I feel you will struggle. The sense of the Alleyn
MS is then still deficient even with the forced reading. Clearly the Q1
text requires no such interpolation and is therefore to be prefered.
(4) On the subject of Quarto / MS comparison my point was not that Q1 is
necessarily superior - only that there is no clear view of which text
can be considered 'authoritative' when both contain difficulties to
reading. Both texts are actorly. One was clearly in the possession of
an actor and the others (Q1-4) clearly contain oral additions, cuts and
other stage-type changes, as well as simple errors of print (which most
likely derive from the printers as much as anyone else) which are again
contained in all texts (both MSS and Q).
(5) Laurie Maguire, though rightly famous for her work on 'Bad Quartos'
is not necessarily right in her conclusions. Her work on Quartos is
erratic and hurried. Though clearly she did a lot of reading, her book
of uncertain value for indepth continued scholarship since it requires
that we accept her opinions about the status of her examined texts at
face value. I am not familiar with the work of Van Dam (though I did see
some class fight scenes by Claude) but will look him up.
A few points about the specifics of the Quarto variants of Orlando vs.
the Alleyn Ms.
(1) Grosart states in his introduction to his 1883 edition of Greene's
works: 'I gladly accept Dyce's readings, etc., from the Alleyn MS.,
albeit it is singularly corrupt and needs critical study. It exemplifies
how unauthoritative were the acting copies often.'
(2) Considering the above there are clear corruptions in both the Quarto
variants and the Alleyn text of Orlando Furioso. It is not simply a
question (and this was my point) of saying Q1 = Bad Quarto; Alleyn =
Good Text. There appears to be an interplay between both texts - some
passages are cut from Q where they are extended in the MS; some sections
of the MS are clearly actorly extensions; many individual words and
phrases are mixed up between Q and MS - orders reversed, individual
words changed, mispelt, ammended etc.
e.g.s of alternatives / corruptions etc (Readings from Grosart's text -
the only one I have to hand at the moment!)
LL 638 Q:
'I finde her drift: perhaps the modest pledge
of my content, hath with a secret smile
And sweet disguise restrained her fancie thus;'
Alleyn has 'a privy thought' for 'secret smile'
---
LL 701Q:
Angelica doth none but Medor Love.
Orlando. Angelica doth none but Medor loue?
AMSS
Nought but Angelica and Medors loue,
Orl. Nought but Angelica and Medors loue!'
---
L 755Q:
See where he comes ... [Oral Formulae]
---
AMSS
art thou not fayre Angelica,
with browes as faire as faire Ibythea,
LL 1058Q:
Why art thou not that faire Angelica
Whose hiew ['s] as bright as faire Erythea
---
[&c. = Actor's cut?]
LL 1248Q:
Feare not Achilles ouer-madding boy;
Pyrrus shall not, &c.
Sounes, /Orgalio, why suffrest thou this old
trot, to come so nigh me?
Orgalio. Come, come, standy by, your breath
stinkes.
Orlando. What? be all the Troianes fled?
Then giue me some drinke.
Melissa. Here, Palatine, drinke;
And euer bee thou better for this draught.
Orlando. What's here?
The paltrie bottle that Darius quaft?
He drinkes, and she charmes him with her wand,
and he lies downe to sleepe. [Notice misplaced (but full) stage direction
- hardly done by actors or playwrights but most likely by printers from
messy copy?]
Else would I set my mouth to Tygres streames
And drinke up ouerflowing Euphrates.
Mine eyes are heauie, and I needes must sleepe.
---
ALMSS
Feare not Achilles ouer-madding boy;
Pyrrus shall not. Aragalio, why suffrest
this olde trott to come so nere me
away with thes rages!
fetch me the Robe that proud Apollo wears,
that I may Iett it in the capytoll.
Araglio, is Medor here? say whiche of
these is he. courage! for why, the palatyne
of fraunce straight will make slaughter
of these daring foes. currunt [italics]
.....
are all the troyans fledd? then giue me
some drynke, some drink...my lord
els will I sett my mouth to Tigris streames
and drink up ouerflowing Euphrates. [notice there is no definate article
in either Q or MSS]
... My lord.
This is the gesey shepherdes bottle, that Darius
quaft. so , so, so , oh so ....
---
LL1294Q
Orlando. What sights, what shapes, what strange-conceited dreames,
More dreadful than appeard to Hecuba
AMSS
What sights, what shewes, what fearefull shapes are these.
---
LL1364Q:
Orlando. I am, thou seest, a mercenarie souldier,
[the word mercenarie is repeated twice later in Q and where later AMSS has
'sluish Indian mercenary' Q has 'common mercenary soldier']
AMSS
I am, thou seest, a cuntry seruile swayne
---
LL1403Q:
Base villaine, vassall, Vnworthy of a crowne
AMSS
vassal! base villaine! worthlesse!
---
etc etc
All the best,
Marcus 'see it's more complicated than you think' Dahl
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